VCDs

what formats are supported? MPG? MPEG? AVI? RAM/RM? MOV? What burning software supports Video CD creation/ NTI? Easy CD Creator? Easy CD ro 95? What can play VCDs? Dreamcast, Saturn can with a VCD card (is that a cartidge you plug in, or is it a piece of hardware that requires soldering?), and a Toshiba DVD Player play VCDs? can the DVD-ROM on a computer play them? Can PS2 play them? I really wantto know this. I can make Hentai and Def Leppard VCDs!!!

VCD uses MPEG-1. I'm not sure exactly what format the audio is, but in any case there are apps out there specifically designed for VCD mastering.

Any sufficiently powerful PC with a CD-ROM drive can play VCD via software decoding (assuming that the drive is capable of reading Mode 2 Form 2 tracks, and if it isn't you should demand a refund )

Some DVD players can play VCD, some can't. Some that can play VCD cannot read CD-R. At least one (a friend of mine ended up with such a beast) can't play VCD on CD-R, but can play VCD on CD-RW. Check the manual.

I think there's a Dreamcast VCD player app out there, but most of the "VCD player" talk is about an MPEG-1 player that is completely incapable of playing VCDs. Be careful.

The Saturn VCD card is a bit of hardware that plugs into that slot in the back (where the battery is).

AFAIK, PS2 cannot play VCD out of the box, but someone might develop a VCD player program in the future.

SVCD: a newer 'upgrade' of VCD.. quality somewhere between laserdisc and dvd..

Video:

Max of about 2600 kbit/s MPEG-2 (CBR or VBR)

480x576 at 25 fps (PAL) or

480x480 at 29.97 fps (NTSC)

with up to 4 subtitles

audio can be from 32-384 kbit/s MPEG1 Layer 2 or MPEG 2

there are also such animals as XVCD and XSVCD (x for xtended).. these are really just putting a higher bitrate stream on an (s)vcd disk (ie a dvd-like mpeg2 stream on an svcd disc)... there are a handful of players that will play it back.. most will bomb.. (why you want 5 minutes of dvd quality video on a cd is beyond me, but people do it)

either VCD or SVCD support menus and still pics and some other funky doodle crap..

for all the info you'd ever want about encoding/burning/capturing/creating vcd/svcd/dvd, go to www.vcdhelp.com

there are a couple true vcd players for dc.. i know the one i tried sucks hard and freezes on multitrack discs, theres supposedly a new one which partially works through a dongle that plugs into a controller port.. i have no idea about this one, if anyone knows, please share..

now, heres my questions for anyone who has a vcd card for saturn, or the vcd bootleg addon for psx.. does it/they play svcds?

You can pick up an Apex DVD player for like $80-$150 (depending on the model). Sure, you'll pay like $10 more than the VCD card for the low end Apex, but it will play DVD's, VCD's, and probably all the other VCD formats. And you can flash away the region protection and macrovision from some of the models too. (My Apex AD-660-8MM is macrovision free thanks to the way Apex DVD players are configured.)

apex' play mp3 discs too.. and easy firmware patch to remove region lock and macrovision (some olders have none already.. but under MPAA directves all dvd players sold now must have it).. i love my apex.. only problem is ya cant use a universal remote, and the one that comes with it flat out sucks for dragons lair

i also wanted to comment about playthegames.com.. i ordered a saturn mod from them once.. it showed up, about 2 months later..

i ordered another mod from em about 2 months ago.. nothing.. i've emailed em and phoned about a dozen times.. nothing but horseshit and smoke up my ass.. they claim the mail lost it.. i paid for priority post.. htey have no delivery confirmation number for me..

thing is, i live a half hour from the address they post on the website. i drove over. it doesnt exist. the addy on the web site is actually a paintball supply shop. either wrong addy on the web site, or mebbe they dont have a retail location at all.. who the #### knows.. i emailed and asked about it.. nothing..

i've filed a complaint w/ the better business bureau.. nothing will come of it tho.. hopefully they'll get in some shit.. my 35 bucks for the mod/shipping i can kiss goodbye.

just wanted to share my experiences with them, make up your own mind.. imho at the very best, its the type of slipshod operation that gives online retail a bad name..

hey guys, do the VCD cards that the guy sells at gamechoice work in a US Saturn? if not, what can I do to make it so it works (without doing the 50/60 switch)? can I use a convertor (AR4MB+ for example) to make the VCD card work (that is, if it doesn't work on it's own in my USA Saturn)

To play VCD's: Get the APEX DVD player on special at Wal-Mart for $88.

If you MUST play VCD's on a console: Find the VCD card for Playstation. It is much easier to find and much cheaper than the Saturn card. Plus, the ones I've seen are all universal, no worrying about having a US vs. JAP system.

i was reading up on apex, and from what i read, they are not low end at all, just cheap. apex buys components from other companies for a cheap price and throws them into a dvd player for cheap. i bought my apex for 65 bux and it has more options and more extras that it can do than my parents 350 dollar toshiba dvd player.

What your looking for dosn't exist. All VCD cards are for asian SS Units only. So unless you got yours from HK/Japan/China you can forget about it. All the websites post that they work on NTSC or Pal TVs but that dosn't mean non asian saturns. As far as I know, you cannot use a cart to get the VCD card to work. You must have an asian unit period. You could always goto a chinese electronic store and they can convert your hardware to Asian territory.

And yes, Games Choice Club does rip you off. Lan Kwei is located in Sham Shui Po Kowloon, and is just another lame store out of the 100s I could find with better deals, and madeiragames isn't even a chinese retailer? That means they import from HK with like double or tripple the costs, not including shipping!?!

The price for a Victor Twin Operator RJ-VC3 card is like $20 US. Anything else is a joke because you can always goto another retailer and they will undercut them. Also a good price for game CDs are like $2 US. Anything above $10 is definaty a rip off, since tons of stores sells cheaper.

just thought id throw in that I have an Apex dvd player too, and i think its great. I dont know exactly how much it costed, but it was pretty cheap. I dont know if it supports svcd though. I dont think i have an s-vcd files, and i dont think my video capture software supports encoding to svcd so i cant test it out either.

Well, I don't know about knock-offs, like "HK BEST VCD" but the real ones from real companys like Victor JVC or Hatachi were designed for asian units.

eatpenguin -> Its funny! Some street vender wanted to sell me a Game Doctor/UFO CD System for like $200+. I didn't even turn my head to look, and down the street someone else was selling them and said to me "You don't want to buy from him? We sell it at only $64, and after the 5th Game disk, 6th one is free!". Needless to say, that other guy wasn't running his business for long because all the other shops do way better